Reversing-switch for electric motors.



No. 635,496. Patented Oct. 24, I899. E. v. MATLACK.

REVERSING SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

(Application filed Jan. 3, 1899.)

2 Sheetsg-Sheat (No Model.)

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No. 635,496. Patented Oct.- 24, I899. E. V. MATLACK.

BEVERSING SWITCH FDR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

(Application filed Jan. 3, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

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UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

ELLYVOOD V. MATLACK, OF ST." LOUIS, MISSOURI.

REVERSlNG-SWlTCl-l FOR ELECTRlG MQTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,496, dated October24, 1899.

Application filed January 3, 1899. Serial No, 700,882. (No model.)

To ctZl whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLWooD V. MATLACK, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversing-Switches forElectric Motors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in switches for reversing therelation of the armature and field currents in their connection to anelectric motor;-and my invention consists in features of novelconstruction, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Figure I is a perspective view of my improved switch. Fig. 11 is aperspective view showing the contact-arms in reversed position from thatshown in Fig. I. Fig. III is a perspective view showing the armature andfield contact arms against their contacts and main-line contact-armsaway from their contacts. Fig. 1V is a view showing the contact-arms andtheir hearings in section. Fig. V is a cross-sectional view taken on theline V V, Fig. IV. Fig. V1 is a dia grammatical view illustrating thewiring throughout the switch.

1 designates the switch base-board.

2 are insulator-plates on the base-board, on. which the binding-postsare mounted. The binding-posts are surmounted by spring-contactsarranged in pairs and designed to receive contact-arms on a rock-shaftsupported from the base-board.

3 designates the binding-posts, to which the main-line wires areconnected, these posts being surmounted by contacts a.

5 and 7 are binding-posts arranged in outer and inner pairs or multipleand surmounted, respectively, by pairs of contacts and 8. Either pair ofbindingposts or 7 may receive the connection of the armature-wires andthe other the fie1d-wires; but for the purpose of facilitating thedescription I will rei'er to the posts 5 as the armature bindingpostsand the posts 7 as the field bindingposts, which arrangement correspondswith the wiring illustrated in the diagram Fig. VI.

It will be seen that there are two complete sets of binding-posts andsurmounting contacts arranged at opposing ends of the switch base-board.It will be readily understood that the two sets of posts and contactsare employed for the purpose of attaining the reversal of the relationof polarity of current from the wires connected to one set to those ofthe other set to reverse the relation of the armature and field.

9 designates bearing-brackets mounted on the base-board 1, and 10 is arock-shaft journaled in said brackets transversely of the base-board 1.

11 designates single contact-arms keyed by cross-pins 11 to therock-shaft 10, said arms being so disposed on the shaft as to swing intoposition between the pairs of main-line contacts 1 at either end of theswitch baseboard.

12 are double contact-arms that are formed in pairs extending in diversedirections from collars 13, loosely mounted on the sleeve ex tensions 11of the collars 11 of the contactarms 11. The collars 13 are arranged torotate on the sleeve extensions 11, and the collars 11 are provided withsegmental facing projections 11 and segmental recesses 11, and thecollars 13 have corresponding segmentalfacing projections let andsegmental re cesses 14. 11 are retaining-rings surrounding the shaft andfastened to the sleeve extensions by screws 11 for holding the doublearms in place. By this construction the contactarms 12 are permitted torock on the collars of the arms 11 to a limited extent, but are movedthereon only by the projections of the arms 11 coming into contact withthe projections 14. The contact-arms 12 are adapted to be moved intoengagement with the sets of contacts 6 and 8 at either end of the switchand receive the electrical current passing thereto from the main-linecontacts 4: through the contact-arms 11.

15 designates bow-springs located at each of the main-line contacts 4,one end of each spring being secured beneath the bindingpost 3 at itslocation. The free end of each spring 15 lies in proximity to thecontacts 1, and such free ends are formed with sockets 16. These socketshold blocks 17, that are designed to receive the contact of thecontactarms 11 when such arms are in engagement with the contacts at, inwhich instance the springs 15 are depressed and the arms 11 remain incontact with the blocks 17 as long as the arms are engaged with thecontacts 4. The blocks 17 serve as arc-receivers when the contact isbroken between the arms 11 and the main-line contacts 4. The blocks maybe of any desirable material, on which the arcs may be received, (but Iprefer to use blocks of carbon,) and the blocks are removably seated inthe sockets 16, so that when they have become burned or wasted away soas to be unservice able they may be removed and replaced by new blocks.

In the operation of this switch the rockshaft 10 may be rotated ineither direction to throw the pair of contact-arms 11 into engagementwith the main-line contacts 4: at either end of the switch and at thesame time to throw the contact-arms 12 at the corresponding end of theswitch into engagement with the contacts 6 and 8 of the armature andfield circuits. By this means the circuit of electrical current iscompleted through the contacts t of the main line, the contact-arms l1,contact-arms 12, and the contacts 6 and S, that have connection with thearmature and field wires. \Vhen the motor is to be reversed, therock-shaft 10 is rotated in the opposite direction', which results inthe following: The arms 11, being carried by the rock-shaft, partake ofthe movement of the shaft and are thrown out of engagement with thecontacts 4, thereby cutting the main line out ofv the circuit. As thearms 11 leave the contacts 4 they remain for a short time in contactwith the arc-receiving blocks 17 by reason of the springs 15 carryingthe blocks beyond the ends of the contacts. It will therefore be readilyapparent that no are is formed on the contacts as the arms 11 leave thecontacts 4, and the contacts 4 are therefore not burned, as the arms 11are separated from them, but instead the arcs are received by the blocks17, which may be removed and replaced at any time at a small expense.

The collars of the arms 12 being loosely mounted on the collars of thearms 11, said arms 12 are not disengaged from the armature and fieldcontacts 6 and 8 until after the arms 11 have been entirely moved fromthe main-line contacts 4:, as shown in Fig. III. In this way theelectrical current in the field is permitted to be discharged throughthe arms 12 and contacts 6 and 8 through the armature before the arms 12are disengaged from such contacts. As the arms 11 are thrown from theposition shown in Fig. III into engagement with the contacts 4: at theother end of the switch from that referred to, the projections 11 on thecollars of such arms are caused to strike the projections 14 on thecollars of the arms 12, and the arms 12 at the first end of the switchare disengaged and those at the reverse end are brought into contactwith the armature and field contacts, and the electrical circuit isagain established, but in a reverse relation with respect to thearmature and field.

I claim as my invention 1. A reversing-switch for electric motors,comprising a base, insulator-plates, two sets of main-linebinding-posts, having springcontacts, the bow-springs having their innerends located beneath the main-line bind ing-posts, and their free endsformed with sockets contiguous to the springcontacts of the main-linebinding-posts, the arc-receiver blocks located in the sockets, the twosets of armature binding -posts having spring-contacts, the two sets offield binding-posts, having spring-contacts, the bearing-brackets, therock-shaft journaled in the brackets, the two single contact-arms keyedto the shaft, having sleeve extensions, and the double contact-armsloosely mounted on the sleeve extensions and oscillated by connectionwith the single contact-arms; substantially as described.

2. A reversing-switch for electric motors, comprising a base,insulator-plates, two sets of main-line binding-posts, havingspringcontacts, the bow-springs having their inner ends located beneaththe main-line binding-posts and their free ends formed with socketscontiguous to the spring-contacts of the main-line binding-posts, thearc-1e ceiver blocks located in the sockets, the two sets of armaturebinding posts having spring-contacts, the two sets of fieldbinding-posts, having spring-contacts, the bearing-brackets, therockshaft journaled in the brackets, the two single contact-arms havingcollars formed with sleeve extensions, with segmental facing projectionsand with segmental recesses, cross-pins whereby the single contact-armsare keyed to the shaft, and the double contact-arms having collarsloosely mounted on the sleeve extensions and formed with segmentalfacing projections and segmental recesses interlocked by the corresponding parts on the collars of the single contact-arms, and theretaining-rings surrounding the shaft and fastened to the sleeveextensions; substantially as described.

ELL'WOOD V. lilATLACK.

In presence of E. S. KNIGHT, G. A. TAUBERSCIIMIDT.

IIO

